Sometimes it feels good not to be so last minute. I disciplined myself to write Sunday’s sermon by lunch time today and it was finished by 11. I have never been this early. I am now going to put it on one side and have promised myself that I will not waste time refining or rewriting it. I will tweak it early on Sunday morning after I’ve prayed. [If you are interested it is about us ALL being made in the image of God, whether we are married, single, young, old, straight, gay, black, white…….and ‘that it is not good that the human should be alone.’ Gen2:18. God creates us for community. Relationships that help us live more fully as human beings made in God’s image are blessed by God. What God blesses we should bless. I haven’t spelt things out but the more open members of the congregation will know what I am driving at.]

And it feels good that it is done because it has freed me to do some further thinking about the cross curricular reflection day, I’m leading with the R.E. co-ordinator at the First School next week.

Developing children’s spirituality (and the staff) , is such Holy Ground and so exciting! Please God, let me do this well.

The head is allowing us a WHOLE day and if it is good and the staff think it is a postive experience we can do another one next term. She is happy because it means she can tick loads of boxes on the school (whole child) development plan including the community cohesion ones. Some folk from church are coming in to help with each class and then on the following Sunday, our family service is happening in school rather than in church. The opportunities for the spiritual development of a wide range of people is tremendous.

The theme for the day is ‘stepping out on a journey’ and I have been dipping into some great stuff written by our wonderful diocesan children advisers with a few contextual ideas of our own. We shall be thinking about life being like a journey and thinking carefully about who are our companions on the way.

The children have already been drawing around their feet on bright coloured paper. These are being stuck to the hall wall to make a time line with a big world at one end (creation), a stable and star (Jesus’ birth) in the middle and a large photo of the kids in front of school(the present) at the other end. It will mean that when I’m there for assembly I can point out where in time the stories come from.

The story we will be thinking about is Peter stepping out onto the water to be like Jesus. We will have fun acting it out in assembly at the beginning of the day. There is lots of space for reflection and worship and talking about our feelings. The staff have had some great ideas for craftwork. Each child should have something to take home and we will have a big piece of artwork for church.